


Light Me!

by MsMK



Series: Fight Me! Definitive Collection [3]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Death of a loved one, Donct need to read fight me or bite me to understand but there will be easter eggs, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fight Me! AU, Hurt/Comfort, I dont know where this is going yet, Maybe - Freeform, Mentions of Death, Reader Has A Name, Reader has a Description, Slow Burn, Smoking, Twinless Twin, Two broken people trying to help each other out
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:27:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26224909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsMK/pseuds/MsMK
Summary: You're an average girl with an average job, trying to claw your way up in the digital art community so you can leave retail behind forever. But there's parts of your life that are, very suddenly, not-so-average.For over a decade, your twin sister has been missing. Her case, now finally solved, brings you to the monsters who called her family when she was stuck in the underground.Including her husband, or more aptly her widower, a skeleton named Papyrus who thinks meeting you is, understandably, difficult. A smoke shared on the back porch inadvertently turns into something much, much more wild than expected.
Relationships: Papyrus (Undertale)/Reader, US!Papyrus/Reader
Series: Fight Me! Definitive Collection [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1322636
Comments: 78
Kudos: 114





	1. I Got This Feeling

**Author's Note:**

> An Underswap AU of my stories Fight Me! and Bite Me! which you can find in the same collection as this one. You don't need to read either of the other two to understand this one but there are fun easter eggs and constants between all three stories!
> 
> Chapter one has smoking, and that thing where one person exhaled smoke into another person's mouth. Also mentions of death, illness, and characters in mourning.

There's a loud part of you that thinks this is a bad idea. A part of you that thinks you should have made your peace years ago in therapy, and all this was going to do was dredge up feelings that should be long buried.

But you supposed that those feelngs had already been stirred when your twin's missing persons case got solved after a decade of being a cold case. When the monsters came up and told her story, when the queen had come to you personally and explained how your sister had given her soul at the end of her long and happy life, donated it so that the monsters could be free.

At first, you were just relieved. You cried right then and there, on your couch, next to the Queen of all monsters, bittersweet tears because finally, finally you had closure. Closure you had come to believe you would never get, and to find that, due to magic shenanigans, she had lived an entire lifetime, only dying of illness in her 50s? How could you be mad at that, how could you even think about being mad at that?

So here you were. Dressed in your nicest clothes, patting your hair nervously, about to meet the monsters that knew your sister personally. Queen Toriel had arranged it all, had done something similar for all surviving family members of the seven souls used to break the barrier. She took the time, even though things were absolutely hectic, the world scrambling to accept or reject monsterkind, to create and abolish laws, to integrate as best they could, and she still took the time to let you meet the people who could tell you more about your sister's life.

"Hello, dear," the Queen said softly as she answered the door. "I'm so happy you could make it today."

You shrugged, twirling a short curl of hair around your finger. You didn't know what to say, what could you say? That you thought about not coming?

"Eliza had many friends underground," Toriel explained, stepping aside and closing the door behind you. "I am certain you will meet many of them in due time, so I hope you don't mind that I only gathered her closest family."

"Family?" You asked, but she didn't elaborate, leading you into a room.

Curious, you peeked into the room before stepping in, seeing three...skeletons.

Huh.

Well, not like you'd known what to expect, but...skeletons was not it.

One of them noticed you before you could duck behind the doorframe again, and you half-expected him to announce your presence.

But he didn't.

Instead, he stared at you, sockets widening. His face was...so expressive, you were honestly surprised. You couldn't do anything but look right back at him, silence reigning as you took in his appearance.

He stood, very slowly, and oh, my, he was tall, very  _ very _ tall. His orange sweatshirt was clearly well-loved, washed many times over and it looked incredibly soft. He wore jeans, though something in your heart told you he preferred shorts. 

Somehow...somehow you knew him. You knew his voice even though he didn't speak, you knew he loved honey, you knew the sound of his laughter and oh, are you blushing or what, because you  _ know _ how those hands feel.

"PAPY?"

You blinked and so did he, and the inquiry, which had come from a smaller skeleton dressed in light blue, was followed by a gasp, and the other two skeletons jumped to their feet.

The small skeleton grabbed the tall one's sweatshirt. "OMIGOSH, PAPY! THERE SHE IS!"

The third skeleton, as tall as the first but dressed in a simple button-up with slacks, simply smiled and hung back as the small skeleton barreled forward, dragging the first skeleton forward until they were within inches of you.

"HELLO, HUMAN!" He practically sang, reaching out and grabbing your hand for a hearty shake. "MY NAME IS SANS! THIS IS MY BROTHER PAPYRUS--"

He turned to indicate the tall skeleton, but somehow, he wasn't there. Sans made a displeased noise, his face sad for a long moment, before turning to you apologetically.

"I'M...SO SORRY, ABOUT HIM," Sans said with a sigh. "WE'VE BEEN PREPARING FOR THIS MEETING ALL WEEK, BUT I DON'T THINK THERE'S ENOUGH PREPARATION IN THE WORLD FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS. PLEASE, COME SIT."

He led you by the hand to the couch, introducing the third skeleton as WingDings Gaster, his father. The third skeleton politely asked you to call him Dings, and with that, you sat down on the couch.

"I am so sorry for my oldest son's flighty behavior," Dings said softly as Sans poured you some tea. "We weren't really sure what to expect, or how old you would be. I don't think any of us expected you to be so young. You look exactly like she did when we met her."

"PAPYRUS AND ELIZA WERE...HM. I GUESS YOU WOULD SAY THEY WERE MARRIED," Sans explained further, handing you a cup of tea. "FOR 35 YEARS, UNTIL ILLNESS TOOK HER."

"Married?" You said softly, surprised. You supposed she had had an entire life down there, you should have expected that she might have settled, but for some reason it was still news to you.

"Yes, they were together from a very young age," Dings said. "And he never quite got over it. It's been about...20 years for us, since she died."

"You all are older than you look," you joked, and they chuckled along.

"Monsters don't age until they have kids," Dings explained. "When my wife passed, I stopped aging again. Most monsters fall when their partners do, I'm one of few who lived through it, because I had my boys to take care of. I never thought I'd live to see my own son go through the same thing."

You exchanged idle talk for a while, and it felt good to hear such lively stories of your twin, even if it ached that she was gone to begin with. Knowing she had family like these skeletons who loved her so much...it made it a little easier.

"Papyrus is on the back porch."

You looked up in surprise at the young girl in the doorway, short sandy brown hair and red eyes as she tilted her head to look at you.

"He's back there chainsmoking," she elaborated. "Should I bring him in?"

"NO. THANK YOU, CHARA. I WILL--"

"I'll get him," you offered, completely bewildered by your own offer.

Why did you just volunteer for that? Oh well, too late now, you're following the teen through the halls to the back door and there he is, you can see him through the glass doors and your heart is pounding already. You can feel so much warmth, so much love, so many positive feelings for this unknown skeleton.

It makes you feel closer to Eliza, just a little.

You step out onto the porch and you can tell he stiffens, that he knows exactly who's beside him. You take a seat on the step next to him, an arm's length away, and chance a glance--he's staring at his feet, a cigarette still burning between his fingertips.

"Hi. Papyrus, right?"

He closed his sockets, exhaling smoke into the frigid winter air. "yeah. beth, right?"

"Nobody's called me that in a decade," you chuckled. "People call me Hazel now. It was hard to go by Beth after Eliza disappeared, a half without a whole, you know?"

He nodded, pulling his hood up as it started to sprinkle. You wish it was cold enough to snow, but that was a ways away it seemed.

"Thanks for taking care of her and giving her a good life," you said softly. "I thought I was over it, therapy was fucking expensive so I should be, but...I guess we never really get over people like her."

"did they tell you who i am?" He asked. He glanced over long enough to see you nod, and he felt his soul cry out at just exactly how much you looked like her. "...not hard to guess who you are. nobody else from your family wanted to come, huh?"

You shrugged. "They live a few hours out, closer to the mountain. They wanted to come but it's pretty far to drive for a day."

He stubbed his cigarette out in the ashtray, fighting the ever-growing urge to kiss you. You looked  _ so much like her. _ But that was just twins, wasn't it?

The silence grew heavy, but you didn't pressure him to speak as he pulled out another cigarette. He hesitated before putting them away.

"you smoke?" He asked, offering the box. You shrugged and picked one up.

"I quit, but there's always room for a smoke on a day like today."

He held his Zippo up as you leaned in, lighting it for you, and watched as the smoke curled from between your lips, a curious expression on your face at the unusual taste.

"monster stuff," he explained. "i think that one's blueberry."

"She must have loved you a lot," you said, exhaling a second cloud. "Feels like I already know you."

"same, kinda," he admitted. Both from Eliza's stories and from some sort of innate knowledge, he knows you. Somehow he knows how you smile, somehow he knows what your laugh sounds like. He can smell you from here, like Apple cider, or maybe candied apple? Eliza had smelled of mint and freshly sharpened pencils.

"What flavor is yours?" You asked as you took another drag.

"...mint," he said softly. "wanna try it?"

You nodded.

He doesn't know what possessed him. He could have just handed the cigarette over. Could have given you another mint from the package.

Could have done anything other than what he did. But he didn't do those things, no, that would be sensible, and for some reason Papyrus wasn't feeling all that sensible when it came to a woman who looked just like his wife.

Instead he turned, leaning back and hooking his arm around your shoulders. You seemed surprised, but leaned in anyway, and his other hand came up to cradle your cheek as he kissed you, soft and full of bittersweet memories, exhaling minty fresh smoke into your mouth and you shuddered, one hand on his chest.

He felt something, something breathtaking, something perfect, something...it took his breath away, a pain in his chest that blossomed into relief, and he could tell you felt it, too, and something was there that wasn't there before.

For a moment, a sweet moment, he had his wife back.

It was a perfect moment.

Until you shoved him away, face flushed deeply, hazel eyes reminding him that you were  _ not _ his wife, and slapped him across the face. He chuckled as he hung his head.

"yeah. yeah. i woulda done that, too," he snickered. "sorry."

"Oh, I'm...I'm so sorry," you squeaked. "Are you okay? Oh, God, I didn't mean to slap you, I don't know what came over me!"

"it's fine, i mean, i just kissed you like a lunatic, so we're even."

Harried knocking caught both of your attention, and Papyrus sighed, turning to see his brother, absolutely  _ fuming _ , standing on the other side of what must be a very well-soundproofed sliding glass door, apparently shouting things at him.

Something tells him he saw that whole mess, and he was in for a lecture.

He shook his head, a huge headache building in his temples. "today is not my day."

Awkwardly, you shifted, taking another drag of your cigarette before leaning across him to stub it out in the ashtray, a cloud of blueberry escaping you. "Thanks for the smoke."

He chuckled. "yeah, no problem."

"Listen, Papyrus, if you ever wanna talk, about Eliza?" You started, leaning back. "I'd like to listen. The Queen has my number."

He stared at you for a long moment, confused as to how he didn't just ruin  _ everything _ by kissing you like a crazy person. "uh. yeah. okay."

Then you leaned in and kissed him gently, on the temple, something familiar and sweet and soft, and damn, he didn't know how much he needed that.

"Thanks again for taking care of her," you whispered. "It was nice to meet you."

And then you were gone, and he was left clutching his chest because oh, it hurts, it hurts  _ so  _ much, like she's leaving all over again and--

Oh. Oh no.

He hears his brother apologizing profusely at the door, voice disappearing down the hall, and he quickly stubs his cigarette out, hands coming to his chest and drawing away, drawing out his soul.

"Well, that could have gone worse," his father chuckled, stepping out onto the back porch. "I think she might be willing to maintain a relationship with all of us--"

"oh, god, i fucked up."

Dings paused, looking at his oldest son with a growing exasperation. "You kissed her. She didn't even seem that upset. I'm sure it will be okay, Bumblebee."

"no, dad, i  _ really _ fucked up," he reiterated, turning wide, frightened sockets on him and showing him--

His amber soul, with a lovely swirl of green that had never been there before. If Dings didn't know better, it almost looked like...

A bond.

Dings stared at it, and then back down the hallway where you had disappeared with his youngest.

"...Ah. Oh, dear."


	2. Fancy Meeting You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It wasn't even a day before fate shoved you together again. Got dinner plans?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so glad you guys are as hyped about this as I am! Honestly I still have no idea where this will go but oh well here we go--

"Si, I'm home!" You called, tossing your keys in the key tray and leaning down to pick up your impatient kitten. "Hi, Hobbes, my baby boy, how are you today? What a good baby!"

Silas gave you a wave over his shoulder, clearly invested in the game of Warzone he was playing. A quick glance at the screen told you exactly who he was playing with.

"Hi, Vic! Hi, Kyle!" You called out.

"They say hi!" Silas called back. "Ah, fuck, no way! The Gulag  _ just _ closed! You guys're gonna have t'buy me back."

You shook your head with a small smile, turning to pull the groceries out of the fridge. Chicken and dumplings tonight, ahhh, you were so ready. Your instantpot had been the best thing you’d ever invested in.

“Tell the boys it’s chicken and dumplings tonight,” you called to Silas, who dutifully repeated the message.

“They humbly request to invite themselves over,” he snickered, and you laughed back, nodding in assent as you went over the mental list of what you needed. “Dinner’s on, boys.”

“Oh, shit. Tell them not for a few hours, we don’t have enough chicken,” you sighed, setting the veggies down.

Silas removed his headphones after telling them the time to come over, and wandered over to where you were grabbing your keys again. “So, uh, how’d it go? The thing?”

“What?” You asked, sliding into your coat. “Oh! Right. It went okay, I only met a few people. Apparently Eliza married a skeleton down there, and I met him and his family.”

Silas nodded, eyeing you. “And you’re okay?”

“Si, I am fine,” you insisted. “If you ask me if I’m okay one more time this week I will poison your dinner.”

“Sorry, jus’ tryna be a good friend!” He sighed, hands up. “And they were nice? The family?”

“Yeah, I think she had a really good life down there,” you said softly, gripping your keys. “...anyway. I’ll be back in twenty, just gonna go get chicken, can you chop the veggies? Okay byyyye!”

Silas didn’t even try to protest, you were out the door before he could answer. He rolled his eyes, putting his wireless headphones back on and half-listening to Victor and Kyle get a Warzone Victory. He didn’t believe you were okay, but he agrees if you were going to open up you would have by now. He wishes he could have gone with you today, if only because you probably needed support you would never ask or.

“Alright boys, I’m on chopping duty so you can do duos for a bit.”

* * *

"how could this happen?" Papyrus asked his dad, exasperated. His arms were firmly crossed over his chest as they walked through the grocery store, as if any passerby could see his soul and what he'd done. "i thought bonds were supposed to be a big deal, like a whole show, intense? shouldn't they take a lot of work?"

"Normally, yes," Dings said, unhelpfully, as he inspected a can of soup.

"well, then what the fuck, dad?" He hissed, quieter this time. "how the hell did i bond with a girl i don't even know without even pulling my soul out?"

"I think you already know the answer, bumblebee," Dings mused, turning to his son. "Don't you?"

He hummed, displeased with that answer. It was true, he'd heard stories of abnormal bonds before, but never really knew which ones were true and which were tall tales. 

There were people like you and Eliza, bonded at birth, called Twin Souls--two halves of one soul, leaving the pieces to eventually grow into a whole soul each. Eliza's had been a brilliant gold, a strong sense of justice in her, but apparently yours had gone green, a sign of genuine kindness.

Then there was the much more preposterous 'soulmates' theory. This one he had never believed in, that the moment you touched your soulmate for the first time, a bond would form instantly. It was a childish theory--and it hadn't happened with his Eliza, and she was definitely his soulmate, he just knows it, so it can't be true.

He supposed that, more believable, you and he had a link through your shared love for Eliza, and the holes in your souls heard each other and...tried to fix it? A reach, but it was the most believable thing he could think of.

"Maybe it's a gift," Dings said, laying his hand on Papyrus' shoulder gently. "Maybe this is the world telling you it's time to let Eliza go. You deserve a little happiness, you know."

Papyrus didn't say anything in return. He already had his happiness, 35 years of it married to Eliza.

...anything else just seems selfish.

“Papyrus, can you please go grab some chicken? I’d like to get a bulk pack to keep in the freezer.”

“can’t you send sans?” He mumbled.

“NO! THE MAGNIFICENT SANS IS ALREADY WORKING ON LIST TWO!” his brother insisted from the other end of the aisle, waving his own list.

“Chicken, please, bumblebee.”

He groaned, pulling his hood up a little higher. One thing about the surface was feeling like a teenager again, living with his dad and brother instead of in their own houses. He’s almost 80, practically ancient for humans, but monsters don’t give two hoots--the provided housing when moving up here had been limited and his only other option that didn't include living with family again was to stay down there, alone, in the empty house he used to share with Eliza.

He chose to come up here.

He followed the signs to the poultry section, scanning lazily for the bulk packs. There were so many different brands and types, how useless. Why can’t they just all be the same? Capitalism is weird.

He reached for a pack, and for a split second he knew exactly what was about to happen--

\--and then he bumped hands with a human, but not any human, no, it had to be you, he knew it was without even looking, and you jumped back quickly, looking up at him with wide eyes.

“Oh! Uh. Hi. Hello. Fancy meeting you here,” you said swiftly.

“uh. yeah. weird.” He mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. “i didn’t expect to see you...well, anywhere, i guess. and not so soon.”

“Same,” you said, eyes flicking to the chicken. “Did you...did you need this?”

You picked it up, handing it to him, and he took it robotically. “yeah, dings sent me for it. you, too?”

“Yeah I’m...my friends are coming over tonight, I’m making chicken and dumplings.” You explained, picking up the next package.

“hey, actually, uh, it’s good that i ran into you,” he said quickly, eyes flicking to where his dad was watching them from the bread aisle with interest. “listen, i have some things i need to talk to you about--”

“Perfect!” You cut him off, putting a hand on his arm. “Come over tonight! You can meet Eliza’s friends from when she was little, and we can talk, and you can have some chicken and dumplings?”

Oh, oh, it felt nice to have you touch him like that, even if it was too damn casual, even you realized it, blushing but not removing it.

He didn’t really want to meet more people today. In fact that was the last thing on his mind. You’d been pretty understanding but, he wasn’t sure everyone would be that way--in fact, just talking to you he could see several people giving you both dirty glances, as if mingling between humans and monsters was forbidden.

But there was kind of a time limit on how long it was okay to let this bond thing hang in the air. The sooner he discusses it with you, the better, he knows for a fact that waiting would be disastrous in the long run.

“sure,” he found himself saying, somehow. “i’d like that.”

It paid off, your smile was refreshing, a quirk of your lips, somehow exactly what he expected it to look like. “Great! If you want, I can take you? I drove here, and it might be easier than giving you an address.”

“okay.”

You both stood there awkwardly for another moment. What was he thinking, accepting like that? He couldn't handle ten minutes with you earlier today, how's he supposed to keep it together for a whole dinner?

“AHEM.” You startled, turning to find Sans standing there. “HELLO, BETH! I DIDN’T THINK WE WOULD SEE YOU SO SOON!”

“Oh, uh, call me Hazel,” you insisted. “Yeah, kind of a weird coincidence, I came here for chicken.”

“she, uh, invited me for dinner,” Papyrus said, staring down at the chicken in his hands, ignoring the holes Sans was drilling into him with his eyelights. "but now that i think about it, don't we have, um, plans?"

"HMMMM, PLANS?" Sans pretended to think, and Papyrus really, really hoped he'd give them the out. "NOPE! HAVE FUN AT DINNER, THEN, I'LL JUST TAKE THIS--" He took the package of chicken. "--GOODBYE, BE--I MEAN, HAZEL! HOPEFULLY IS THE FIRST OF MANY ACCIDENTAL MEETINGS!"

Papyrus glared at his brother as he retreated, receiving twin smug grins from Sans and Dings. Traitors. The lot of them. He hopes they crack a tooth on a chicken bone.

"Well, uh, this is all I really needed, so...let's go?" You said, waving the chicken in your own hands.

Papyrus took a deep breath, shoving his hands in his hoodie pocket.

"yeah. yes. let's go."

* * *

The drive was quiet, giving you time to think. Like, firstly, what on earth were you thinking, just inviting him over like that? You didn't even check with Silas if it was okay.

But being around Papyrus...was nice. It felt like warmth, in your chest, and you just knew there was a whole personality you had yet to discover. And maybe if you get to know him a little better you'll feel that much closer to Eliza.

"i'm sorry, by the way," he said suddenly, and you hummed in confusion, not taking your eyes off the road. "that person at the checkout was rude to you because you were with me. so, sorry."

"If she was rude to me just because I was with a monster then she's probably a bitch to begin with," you said with a shrug. "Don't apologize for her shitty attitude."

"guess you're right," he chuckled. "so, can i ask a personal question?"

"Depends on the question," you said with a small laugh.

"why hazel? why don't you go by beth?"

You hummed as you turned down your street. That was a good question. Not many people asked you that, surprisingly, but then again almost nobody knows your name is Beth.

"My parents thought they were having one daughter, and they wanted to name her Elizabeth. When they ended up with two, they split the name--Eliza, and then 6 minutes later, Beth." You pulled into your reserved spot in front of the small apartment complex you called home. "When we were little, they used to say they could only tell us apart by our eyes. Mine were hazel, and hers were--"

"amber," he sighed fondly. "perfect honey-yellow."

You smiled as you turned off the ignition. So warm, his affection for her.

"Right. Hence the nicknames Hazel and Amber. After she disappeared it was hard to be Beth without Eliza, just a constant reminder of my missing other half." You twiddled with the keys in your hand. "So we went with Hazel instead. My dad still  _ relentlessly _ calls me bumblebee, though."

"yours, too?" He chuckled. "my dad still treats me like a babybones sometimes, even though i'm pushing 80."

"The way monsters age is really interesting," you said. "And the time difference down there, too. Is it weird being up here where the time is normal?"

"well it's more like the time is slow. feels the same until we go visit the people who still live down there, really." He followed suit as you finally unbuckled and moved to get out, following you to the stairs of the complex. "so you're still friends with people from childhood. that's unusual for humans, right? i mean, we had nowhere to go underground so we stayed friends with everyone, but up here there's so many places to go."

"...The boys and I have things that keep us together," you said softly, very slowly picking through your key ring. "Shared traumas. I think they stick around because they're worried I'll break down someday. And Kyle, we adopted him in high school, essentially. He never met Eliza but she would have liked him."

He hummed, clearly thinking. "these boys are...silas and victor, right? she used to tell me about them. used to wonder what they were doing."

"So far, not a lot," you joked. "Vic is in school for music and audio stuff. Silas and I work at the Department store down the street and hate it."

"why work there if you hate it?" He asked, hands finding his front pocket again.

"Need money to pay rent, need rent to keep the apartment. What else is a 21 year old with no skills supposed to do but retail?" You chuckled bitterly, finally unlocking the door in front of you. "Come on in--what's so funny?"

He stifled his laughter poorly, shaking his head. "i'm...i'm sorry. it's just, she said the exact same thing when she took a job underground.  _ snrk. _ you even had the same exasperation on your face."

You chuckled, paused in the act of opening the door. A shout of your name caught your attention and a little blur of orange and black zoomed past you, making you gasp.

"Oh no! Hobbes!"

"who?"

"My cat!" You squeaked, taking off after the cat as he barreled down the stairs. "He's an indoor cat! Hobbes. Baby, come back to mama!"

Papyrus had no choice but to follow, confused as he watched you hop over the edge of the stairs to keep up. "what do you mean an indoor cat?"

"I mean, he's not supposed to be outside! He might get lost! Little escape artist is always trying to get past me--there!" You pointed across the parking lot, and he followed with his eyelights to see the tiniest kitten, a ball of orange, black, and white fluff with eyes, standing on someone's car and looking around with wide eyes. "Hobbes! Come back! Mama gives you treats? Pspspspsps!"

A shaking noise caught his attention and Papyrus and the cat both looked up, seeing a redhead with a box labeled "tuna treats", shaking it and calling similarly to the cat.

"Oh no, he's gonna run if granny's dog walks by," you sighed, exasperated as an older woman came around the corner with a prim Shih Tzu. As you said, the kitten took off. "Augh! Catch that cat!"

Papyrus blinked away into a shortcut, ending up directly in the kitten's path, unsure of how he was going to wrangle him--but apparently, the bit of your soul he kept within his through the bond was enough for the kitten to know him, and he jumped right into his arms, meowing and pawing at his hoodie as he gently closed one hand over him to keep him from getting away.

"gotcha, troublemaker," he chuckled, touching tiny kitty toes with his free hand. A glance up showed you were jogging across the parking lot with feeling. "i believe this is yours?"

"Oh, God, thank you. You dumb cat! You're gonna get yourself killed!" You panted, taking the tiny animal from him. It mewed in response, and you sighed, hugging it close. "Ugh, precious baby, you're such an asshole but I love you, I guess."

That earned another laugh from him, and you blushed, burying your face in Hobbes' fur. You somehow know all the ways that laugh can sound, and it's got you feelin' some kind of way.

"I tried to warn you," Silas sighed as you came up the stairs.

"I know, I was distracted. Oh, this is Papyrus, Eliza's husband." You waved your hand behind you to where Papyrus was trailing behind. "I ran into him at the store and kind of...invited him over."

"you must be silas," Papyrus deduced, eyelights flicking to his wild red curls as he reached his hand out for a handshake. Silas shook it, clearly unsure what to think. "she talked about you a lot. almost as much as she talked about b...i mean, hazel."

"The three musketeers, that was us," he shrugged, retracting his hand. "Nice kitten-catching skills."

"thanks, i got him by a whisker," he smirked, hands returning to his own pocket. "cute lil' bugger."

You smiled at him as he reached over to pet Hobbes, scratching the kitten's chin as he purred and tipped his head back, allowing the touch.

“Anyway,” you sighed, looking up at him with a soft smile. “Let’s get this little escapee inside before he gets any more ideas.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading :D


	3. A Bonding Exercise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Papyrus decides its only responsible to let you know what you've both stumbled into, here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so glad you guys like Good Guy Silas haha! This IS Swap, so he's gotta be good.  
> Thank you for the enthusiasm here, I know ot doesn't exactly follow the usual pattern of my FM series stories but hopefully we will get to easter egg territory soon.

The three of you moved inside, bolting the door tight before you let Hobbes down. Immediately you took off towards the kitchen, and Silas back to the couch and his paused game, leaving Papyrus to stand awkwardly in the foyer, looking around at all the pictures.

He wondered what your life would have been like if Eliza had never fallen underground. Barring his own feelings, you both would have been happy together--some nights Eliza was so homesick, missed you so much, that all he could do was hold her as she cried and wish he could help. It didn't help that you share some sensations, some feelings, and she would randomly get sad, or mad, or her body would ache despite having no injury. It must have been weirder for you, 30 something years of Eliza's emotions packed into half a decade. Maybe you thought you were going crazy.

….God, he missed her. He knows you aren't her, that the person in these photos isn't her. She never got to see her brothers grow up, never got to live in the city like she dreamed, never went to college or on vacations with her friends. But seeing you in these pictures, smiling with Silas and who he assumed was Victor, you had clearly tried to live enough for the both of you, and that made it a little better.

After staring at a picture of you and two boys that must be your younger brothers for ages, you called him from the kitchen, and he turned to you.

"...you can come in, you know," you chuckled, gently grasping his arm and pulling him from the foyer. "Anyway, dinner's in the pot cooking, the boys are on their way. You said you wanted to talk?"

He glanced at Silas, and you thankfully took the hint, nodding for him to follow you. He did so, glancing at a few more pictures in the hall. Your room was a little messy, not messy like his but still a little messy. You sheepishly tossed some clothes in the hamper and patted the bed next to you as you sat.

"So, what's on your mind?" You asked as he joined you.

"it was something that happened earlier, when we met," he began, his hand twisting the front of his sweatshirt.

"The kiss, you mean?" He nodded, and you nodded back. "Well, I forgive you. It must have been weird to see me, looking so much like your wife. I didn't take it the wrong way or anything."

He fought the urge to laugh at that. You totally took it the wrong way. Both of you had, your souls had jumped into a goddamn bond without a second thought.

"well, it's...more than that. when we kissed, i...felt something," he continued, trying to word it in a way that you would understand. "see, with monsters, we have this thing--"

"Woah, wait, I'm gonna stop you there." You held your hands up and he stopped. "Listen, Papyrus. I know I look a lot like her, we're twins, I get it. And I know it feels like we already know each other, I feel that, too, okay? But I already have a boyfriend, and you're my dead sister's widower, and I'm just gonna guess that would never work."

He blinked at you, silent for a long moment, and then chuckled, shaking his head. "be nice if it were that simple, wouldn't it? but no, it's kind of more serious than that? i mean, don't get me wrong i understand where you're coming from but monsters don't always...have a  _ choice _ with these things, if that makes sense? i don't intend to come in here and mess up your life or anything but i think it'd be irresponsible of me to not tell you what exactly happened when we kissed today."

You raised a brow, but didn't interrupt. He sighed.

"okay, where to start. monsters have this thing, called bonding--no, wait. souls are real, and they--hm." He tapped his jaw with his fingertip, brow furrowed as he tried to figure out exactly where to start this weird, uncomfortable lecture on monster biology. "sorry, i...never had to explain any of this to a human before, ellie already knew about souls when we met."

"Take...your time?" You said slowly, almost a question.

"we'll start with souls," he said decidedly. "like, you guys think souls are this, like, spiritual thing, kinda? and they have no physical form or if they do it's kinda water vapor-y? but they're real, and they're the shape of your cartoon hearts. for a monster they're our core, we're made of magic and all our magic comes from our souls. humans have souls too but they don't have magic unless it's a very strong soul, like yours is."

You let out a laugh. "Yeah, like I have magic."

"...we'll...unpack that later. anyway, when monsters mate for life, they create this thing called a bond. like a link between their souls, it sorta acts as a red string of fate or a soulmates thing, lets others know immediately that they're taken and also heightens...emotions and stuff, between the couple."

"Oh. So you had a bond with Eliza, then?" You asked, cocking your head to the side.

"no, actually. we couldn't. we knew her soul would need to be in one piece to break the barrier," he explained, and he felt the emptiness in his chest as he thought of it, of how much they both had wanted to share that bond but couldn't. "we weren't able to do that, even though we wanted to."

"Oh, man, I'm sorry," you said, resting one of your hands over his. "It must have been hard."

He paused, turning his hand, wrapping his fingers gently around yours. It felt...so nice. You were warm, and inviting, and he wanted so badly to just lean into you again.

But is that the bond talking? Is it lingering feelings for Eliza?

"...anyway. my point is, i don't know how or why but when we kissed, i bonded with you," he said quickly, bracing for the expected backlash.

Silence. Then: "...Oh."

It was quiet, and you let go of his hand. "it was an accident, i honestly don't know what happened, but you deserve to know."

"Okay, well, that's...hm." You tapped your cheek. "Are bonds specifically for like, romantic mates?”

“generally, but some people are born with bonds or form platonic bonds. you and eliza had a bond from birth, i could see it, and that happens a lot with twins.”

“Well, how do you know we actually bonded or whatever? You said it was just a feeling, couldn't that be anything?"

"theoretically, yeah, feelings could be lots of things. but, uh, thing is, i can see my soul physically if i wanna, and it's always been solid amber, but after kissing you it's now amber with a swirl of green." He glanced over at you. “i’m assuming your soul is green. kindness.”

“I wouldn’t know,” you said, shrugging. “How does anyone know that sort of thing?”

“well, normally someone pulls it out and shows you,” he said bluntly, and chuckled again at the way your eyebrows nearly flew off your face. “that’s normal for monsters, pulling souls out for an Encounter.”

“So you can show me mine?” You asked, surprise and excitement present on your features. “That would be dope, actually. First-ish human to stare existentialism in the face.”

He felt himself blush, holy crap, that was an intimate thing to ask him to do.

“i would joke about buying me dinner first, but i guess you’re technically already making it." He gave a nervous laugh.

“Oh, God, is that, am I not supposed to ask that?” You asked, blushing yourself.

“it’s really, really intimate,” he explained. “usually, outside of combat, the only people who would ever see or especially touch your soul would be your partner or extremely close family. but i mean, we’re already bonded, so it isn’t like i can hurt you. also, i  _ wouldn’t  _ hurt you.”

“I trust you,” you said, almost too quickly and oh, he hopes you don’t trust everyone that quickly. “I wanna see, show me!”

“okay, alright hold on,” he laughed as you bounced in your seat. “before i go pulling souls out, where are we on this bond thing?”

“Well, I’m still just as taken as I was at the beginning of the conversation,” you joked. “But, uh, you know, you know more about bonds than me, so, what, we just...get rid of it?”

“that’s…” He sighed, shaking his head with a laugh. “...that isn’t how it works, it’s...we’re stuck with it now. i mean, i’ve never  _ seen  _ a successful bond-break, anyway. but then again i’ve never seen anyone bond over a kiss, normally bonds are something that take a lot of time and energy, so, you know. flying by the seat of my pants. my best guess is that our souls recognized our mutual love for eliza and something got lost in translation.”

You took a deep breath. “...Okay. But bonds can be, like...platonic, right? You said that.”

He...doesn’t think this one is. But if it gets you to not flip out and try to break the bond, possibly resulting in both of your deaths…it isn’t like he plans on acting on this at all, you’ll just be bonded, he supposed, and that’s how life will have to be.

“yeah, they can be.”

“Oh, well, then, congratulations, we’re friends now,” you giggled. “You didn’t mean to and all, and there’s nothing we can do, so, c’est la vie and all that. I guess.”

“again, i am, and i mean this,  _ so _ sorry.” 

You waved him off. "No worries. I'm sure there's some subtlety I'm missing where this is a huge deal, but, like you said, you aren't out to uproot my life with it so, it's fine. Not like you suddenly wanna fight to the death for my hand in marriage or anything."

"no, no, definitely not," he chuckled. "good. good. i'm glad we understand each other. honestly i was worried you would either take this poorly or like, be really insistent on dating me or somethin' and  _ tibia- _ nest, i'm nowhere near the notion of dating again."

"It would be weird, wouldn't it? Dating me?" You laughed. "I mean, not only am I not the brightest crayon in the box or anything, but I look just like Eliza. But we can be friends?"

"yeah, friends, please," he said quickly. "being around you...helps."

"You, too, big guy," you said softly, reaching up to pat his shoulder, your other hand tapping your chest. "It's nice, like I can still feel her here."

"yeah. just like that," he sighed his own hand coming to his chest, hovering over where his soul lay.

"So, can I see my soul now?" You asked, bumping him with your shoulder. "Pleeeeeease?"

"alright, alright, jitterbug, have some patience," he laughed. "so first you need to face me. i'm gonna touch you, okay?"

"Yup," you said, facing him and tilting your head up instinctively, waiting patiently. Again, he was struck with a worry that you trusted everyone this easily--after all, he'd only met you this morning.

He pressed his fingertips chastely to your sternum, focusing, finding the humming thread of your soul...and tugged gently, drawing a gasp from you as it manifested just above his cupped hand.

Oh, it  _ was _ green, it was brilliantly green, deep jade with veins of darker emerald. But besides that, it was cracked, broken in many places, with threads of gold fusing the cracks back together and he sighed, the familiar buzz of Eliza's magic humming in that gold. He knew, he  _ knew _ she still lived in you, that little bit, just like the droplets of green that had always swirled around Eliza's soul like paint in water.

And in the middle, a familiar amber, not quite as gold but also not yet orange, and that was him, he realized. It was him, and it didn't yet look like it had settled, still swirling curiously with gorgeous green and beautiful gold.

"Oh!"

Your soft exclamation drew his attention, wrenching his eyelights from your soul to your face as you touched your cheeks, finding them wet with tears.

"I'm. I'm sorry, I don't know why I'm crying," you said, a bittersweet laugh as you wiped at the tears with your sleeve.

"everyone cries," he said quickly. "everyone cries the first time they see their soul, it's okay."

"So green is kindness?" You squeaked, redirecting the conversation away from your tears. "What's all the rest of it?"

"green is kindness, yeah. that amber in the middle, uh...that's me. kinda a unique color, not to brag, not quite bravery and not quite justice? somewhere in between. and the gold…" He smiled at you, soft and full of warmth. "one guess who that is."

"Eliza," you cooed, reaching out.

He quickly pulled the soul away, carefully. "woah! heh, careful there. souls are very delicate and full of everything that makes you...well, you. touching it is a big deal. you could get nice memories, could get trauma, could get who knows what, especially without any kind of training what you're looking for. here, lemme just--"

He coaxed it back into your chest, and you hadn't noticed it was difficult to breathe until you could breathe again, both hands folding protectively over the spot where it disappeared.

"Wow," you sighed, smile quirking at the corners of your lips. "I always felt like she was there, even after I knew she was gone I thought I could still feel her."

"twin souls," he explained. "bonded at birth. one soul in two bodies, growing to be two separate souls with an unbreakable connection. even if you didn't look anything like ellie, i would have known it was you from the moment i laid eyes on you, 'cause i've seen that gold of course but i've also seen that green. on her soul."

Woah. Okay, this is a lot to take in, but, still good, you think. You exhale, letting his words sink in. On the bright side he doesn't seem to mind the silence, stuffing his hands back in his pockets. His soft smile is really starting to make your heart flutter but, you supposed that would be a normal occurrence with this bond thing.

You're saved from having to make small talk by the sound of the front door opening, a chorus of male voices traveling back to your bedroom, announcing Victor and Kyle's arrival.

"I'd better check on dinner, since the guys are here," you said, your fingertips lingering as you brushed his shoulder. "Come out whenever you're ready."

"wait!" He squeaked, scrambling to his feet as you stopped short. "i--well, um. can...can i ask for a hug? is that weird?"

"I mean, nothing since we met has been what I would call normal," you laughed. "I think weird is just gonna have to be normal for us."

You opened your arms invitingly, stepping closer as he did the same and oh, he's very good at hugging. You sighed, wrapping your arms around him and resting your head on that somehow-familiar orange sweatshirt. He smelled like honey, but also of oak, fresh paper, and milk chocolate. It was strangely comforting, and familiar, and you found yourself disappointed when he finally drew away.

But you could hear the timer going off for dinner and, well, you didn't really have time to dwell on it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading, I love reading your comments ❤❤❤


	4. Wrong Time, Right Place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You get stood up, but Papyrus is there to make it better.  
> Your make up date goes poorly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enter the Camden!  
> I don't think he's gonna be quite what anyone expects 👀👀👀

"Why don't you have a big and tall section?" The man grouched, not so much as a hello as he stormed up to you with his arms crossed. "I'm six and a half feet tall, where am I supposed to get my clothes?"

You didn't look up at him, instead continuing to ring the woman in front of you. "I'm sorry, sir, but all of our big and tall clothes are in the same section as the regular clothes, you'll have to check the stacks. Do you have any coupons today, ma'am?"

"I don't want to do that," the man complained, and oh, he sounded like a whiny toddler instead of a forty-something-year-old guy. "I just want to walk over and pick up my size like everybody else!"

"I'm sorry, sir, we don't have that here. 23.19, ma'am. Are you paying with a Mercy's charge card today?" You took the charge card as she handed it over, punching in the discount for using the store's credit line. "With that it's 19.79. There's a survey at the bottom of your receipt and overall you saved 16.20 today! Have a good one!"

The lady thanked you, glaring daggers at the guy as you called for the next in line.

"Well then, somebody needs to find me something in my size," the man demanded as you began ringing several toddler-sized shirts. "It's ridiculous that I should have to--"

"I'm sorry sir, but I'm a little busy here at the checkout today. If you don't want to peruse the stacks, you can always use the kiosks located by customer service to order directly from our big and tall line." 

You pointed patiently at the customer service counter, and, as if sensing it, Silas looked up from the computer there, realizing exactly what was happening as the man started stomping off towards him. From behind the Customer Service desk he gave you an exasperated look, and you giggled, turning back to your work and checking the rest of the customer's baby clothes. The woman apologized for the man, you were used to that when other customers witnessed shitty customers, and it made you feel a little better.

As you circled the total at the bottom on the receipt, you felt...something. You weren't sure what it is, but it made you look up to see Papyrus standing in line, looking just as surprised to see you. You sent the customer off and waved him over, placing a "Lane Closed" sign at the end of the belt as Shirley opened another register.

"We have got to stop meeting like this," you joked as he set his bundle of clothes down. All big and tall clothes, which made sense, but it struck you as hilarious that he had quietly done what that man could not.

"i dunno, it's growing on me," he chuckled. "didn't realize this was the store you guys worked at."

"Home sweet hell," you grumbled, beginning to check his items. Some slacks, a few button ups… "These aren't your usual style?"

"got a job," he explained. "apparently necessary up here, with the guard disbanded i can't phone it in anymore."

"Yeah, like I said, gotta work here even if I hate it. You think you'll like your new job?"

"yeah, we're friends, the owner and i. her bar was pretty popular underground and it's supposed to open up in the next week or so, as soon as Tori can get the ban on monster alcohol lifted." He went for his wallet and froze. "...shit. i only have gold. you guys don't take that, do you?"

"I'll get it," you said, typing in your employee number to give him a hefty half off and then swiping your own card before he could answer.

"no, i...won't you get in trouble for that?"

"I'm allowed to do that for family," you said. "If anyone asks I'll explain you're my brother-in-law. Simple as pie. You need work clothes, and I just got paid, so don't worry about it."

You handed him the bag, stepping out from behind the desk.

"thank you," he said awkwardly, holding the bag a little too tightly. "i'll pay you back. when's your lunch?"

"Now, actually, but…" you trailed off, playing with a stray curl. Your boyfriend Camden was supposed to meet you for lunch today. "...I already have lunch plans with someone today. Maybe next time."

He nodded, agreeing, and waved a goodbye, and you began the walk upstairs to the break room to clock out. Once you'd punched out for your lunch hour, you grabbed up your phone from your locker, texting Cam that you were ready whenever, and set out to wait on the bench outside. You loved when Cam brought you lunch, it was a nice break from the monotony of the day and he always brought something good, like sushi.

You plopped down on the bench outside, taking the time to scroll through your phone and check messages. The group chat with The Boys had been blowing up, with all three of them nerding over the latest trailer for Borderlands 3. You were excited yourself, it'll be nice to explore more of Krieg from 2.

...shouldn't Cam be here by now? You checked the time--you'd been waiting nearly 30 minutes. You checked your messages, and he'd seen it and said nothing.

"think i could sit here?"

You nearly jumped at Papyrus' appearance, but relaxed immediately. He held out a bag, it looked like takeout from someplace. "Oh. Yeah, you can sit here."

"sorry," he said sheepishly, taking a seat next to you and setting the bag between you. "i know you said you were meeting someone but i couldn't help but notice they never came."

He nudged the bag to you as he opened it, and you gratefully withdrew a burger from within. "Yeah, I don't know what happened. Cam is usually pretty punctual...most of the time."

Okay, he's entirely unreliable, but you'd been hopeful today. He was the one who offered to bring you lunch, anyway, so you'd thought maybe he'd keep his word. But he's a busy guy, so you guess you understand.

"not today, it seems. guess it's a good thing i stuck around the mall, huh?" He chuckled. "can i tell you somethin' weird, though? i knew he wouldn't come."

You looked up at him in surprise and confusion. "What? How? And I didn't even tell you he was a he."

"it was a very clear feeling, in here," he said, pointing to his chest. "you were thinking he probably wouldn't come. it wasn't like hearing your thoughts, more like...i felt your doubt."

"Wow. Pretty shitty of me to so loudly doubt my boyfriend," you mumbled, staring down at your burger.

"it's only because of the bond," he explained. "you'll probably start getting glimpses of my feelings, too. neat lil parlor trick, stump your friends!"

You laughed at that, and you enjoyed the last half hour of your lunch eating and talking about miscellaneous stuff. It had only been three days since you met, but he felt like a dear friend, and old presence, someone you really knew, and even if it was only the bond or what's left of Eliza it's nice not to wonder for once what somebody thinks of you.

Cam finally texted you in the last 5 minutes of your lunch that he'd been in a meeting, and you rolled your eyes but told him it was okay.

"you free tonight? dings wants to invite you over for dinner," Papyrus said as he walked you back in. "we've got a few things of eliza's you might wanna see."

"Can't, Cam rescheduled for dinner," you said, genuinely disappointed. "But, uh, definitely another time."

"if he stands you up again, you're welcome over," Papyrus chuckled. "text ya the address."

"I swear he's not usually that bad!" You called after him as he left, but who are you really fooling with that? Might be useless to argue if he can feel your feelings.

* * *

You picked at your food, glaring down at your plate. What's the point of a date if he's just going to walk off to take a call? You don't even like French food but it's a nice place so you didn't say anything. You sure wish you had more of those burgers from earlier, though.

Finally Camden returned to the table, after what seemed like forever, and you sat up a little straighter. This was the first time you'd really gotten to hang out in a while, ever since he took on a job at his father's company he had been so busy. He kind of had tunnel vision most days even before the job, but he always showed you he cared when it came down to it.

"I swear, nobody at that place would be able to find their own heads if it weren't for me," he chuckled, his dark locks bouncing as he shook his head. "Sorry about that, babe"

"It's okay," you lied, you always lie and tell him it's fine. You've been together three years, you'd learned how to not take his quirks personally. "It's all handled now, right? No more interruptions."

"Not unless they wanna lose their jobs," he laughed, reaching across and taking your hand. "I've missed you lately."

"Me, too," you cooed, squeezing his hand in return. "So much has happened since we last had any time together, it's been so crazy--"

"God, I know what you mean. Did you know Dad's been hiring monsters? Only to work, like, the mail room and shit but still, it's like another world there some days."

"I think that's very cool of him, actually," you said, genuinely proud of Cam's father. "It's hard for them to find work, I hear, so it's good to see someone taking charge of progression."

"Yeah, good until you get a piece of mail covered in slime," Cam snorted. "You're suddenly very pro-monster, weren't you on the fence about them?"

You looked up at him, frowning. You had already told him all about Eliza and how kind the queen had been, the closure you'd gotten, the stuff that made you pro-monster. Clearly, he hadn't been listening.

"Seriously? We just talked about this the other day," you sighed. "My sister? The Queen? That I was going to get to meet the monsters that knew Eliza personally? Do you even listen when I talk?"

"What? Of course I do! I remember all that, come on, don't make a scene here over something stupid." He patted your hand. "So when do you get to meet them?"

"Three days ago," you huffed, withdrawing your hand. "I told you. I even texted you after."

"Oh, shit, you did," he said quietly. "Well, uh, how did it go, then?"

You took a deep breath and gripped your fork, stabbing meaningfully into your lamb filet. "It went _fine_. I met her widower and his dad and brother and they were all perfectly lovely. Thanks for asking."

"Babe, don't gimme that. I'm busy, you know I am. I'm sorry I haven't been the most supportive during all this but--"

"My sister is _dead_ , Cam." You glared at him as he promptly shut up. "My twin sister, who's been missing for ten years, is dead, and I've been dealing with that news all by myself, fine, but you can't even remember what I do tell you?"

"Beth, we're in public."

"Don't call me that!" You shouted, shoving away from the table and turning on your heel. "Good night, Camden."

You took a little satisfaction from the looks your boyfriend was receiving, but it didn't stop you from simmering over it as you exited the restaurant, heels clicking down the sidewalk.

As expected, it wasn't long before his convertible pulled up, driving super slowly beside you.

"Babe."

"Leave me alone."

He sighed. "Hazel, it's twelve blocks to your apartment."

"It's fine, it's a nice night," you insisted, one hand wiping away the tears before they could track mascara down your face.

"It's winter," he deadpanned. "Come on, get in, we'll go get some ice cream and I'll listen to everything you have go say. I even told Dad I'd be in late tomorrow."

You stopped, and his car stopped, too, idling beside you. "...Really?"

He nodded, and you deliberated a moment, before ultimately deciding to take it. He leaned over when you got in on your side and you humored him with a kiss.

"Thank you," you said softly, and he chuckled, brushing your cheek with his fingertips.

"Course, babe, anytime."

* * *

"oh!"

Sans jumped at his brother's outburst, whirling around to see him stooping to scoop up a dropped honey bottle. "WHAT HAPPENED?"

"nothing!" He said, a small laugh, but it seemed strained, untruthful. His hand came up to palm his sternum, just above his soul. "nothing. just got some of hazel's emotions, i think."

"IS SHE OKAY?" Sans asked, concerned.

"oh, uh, yes," he said his hands shaking, brow furrowed. "yeah. yeah. she's, i mean. she's just fine. excuse me."

Sans stepped aside as his brother hurried up the stairs, and at the very last second he caught sight of the glow in his shorts and--ah. He understands. Wherever you are, you're getting some, and his poor brother has to feel it to an extent.

A laughable situation, sure, but to Papyrus it must feel awful, knowing that his bonded is out there somewhere with another man. But then, he'd signed up for that when he'd told you it was platonic, hadn't he? Even Dings had agreed it was the right thing to do, but Sans wasn't so sure.

With a sigh, Sans returned to his paperwork. His brother made his bed, and he would have to lie in it, even if it was the last thing his poor, aching soul needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Papyrus, he has to feel what she feels to an extent. Hazel is horny? Welp, now Rus is horny too  
> Camden. What are thoughts on him from those who've read my others? Or newbies, what do you think of him?


	5. Sugar and Cream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The bond is a little more in-depth than you'd expected, but it seems to be working in your favors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love everyone's analysis of Camden, it's so interesting to see the difference between those who've read the other versions and new readers!  
> I hope you guys like this chapter!  
> Warnings: description of illness, description of death/dead body, panic/grief description

_"heya, honey, how's it hangin'?"_

_She giggled as Papyrus wrapped his arms around her waist. Freshly married, still wearing the daisy crown Tori had made her. She leaned back into his arms, and he counted himself so lucky, so,_ **_so_ ** _lucky._

_"It's going," she sighed, her hand over her chest. "I keep wondering if maybe Beth can feel how happy I am."_

_"sure she can," he said softly. "all the strongest emotions get through."_

_"I wish she could have come to the wedding," his wife mumbled, turning in his grip. "Thanks for doing a weird human-style wedding, by the way."_

_"i enjoyed it, especially the part where i gotta kiss you~"_

_He emphasized his point by kissing her again, and she giggled, pulling him in, soft hands on his cheekbones and yes, they were young, very young, most monsters don't settle down in their early 20s but how could he not? She was so perfect, so beautiful, and the moment he saw her there was something about her that drew them together. He'd never believed much in soulmates until he had met her. Maybe it was fast by anyone's standards, getting married less than a year after meeting her, but really he'd known her forever, talked to her through the big stone wall that separated Snowdin from the ruins, exchanged buttons and stamps and other things small enough to push through the only crack in the wall._

_"When you get up there, promise you'll find her for me?" Eliza sighed, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Promise you'll take care of her?"_

_"all things go aces, you can take me to her yourself," he hummed, petting her hair gently. "but i promise, if beth is up there when we go, i'll find 'er."_

* * *

_The day she fell ill was a day like any other. Talking, laughing, enjoying every bit of being together. She joked about being old and wrinkly, and he professed undying love, and she laughed, and he laughed, and she turned back to the stove--_

_\--and she suffered a seizure, dropping like lead, and upon taking her to Undyne it was determined she had a human illness they were ill-equipped to handle, something that required surgery and radiation and--_

_...she chose to let go instead. She told him it was okay, she would rather die with dignity than try a million things in the lab until she couldn't feel her toes. He took her home, made her comfortable. Spent every moment by her side._

_When humans die, they don't automatically turn to dust. The sight of the life leaving her, the feeling of ferrying her soul into a container to be shipped off…_

_...it was almost too much to bear. And he never, ever forgot it._

* * *

He awoke crying.

It wasn't unusual, back when she first died. It took him a few years to get a good night's sleep. But lately it had been resurfacing, the dreams and memories, the waking up with sorrow heavy in his chest.

Tonight was no exception, and he heaved a great sob, clutching his pillow as he remembers the feeling of her lifeless body in his hands, remembers the exact moment her eyes lost their light. It was too much, it hurt, it…

...there's a little flicker of something, and it helps. It gets stronger, and he realizes it's...you. A soft, sleepy warmth spreads from your spot in his soul, like a gentle hand running soothingly over his skull. Wherever you are, probably at home, probably in the arms of your boyfriend, you were responding to him. You echoed his pain, and granted him respite, and even if you weren't doing it on purpose it felt so nice.

Before he had been so alone, after her death. Even with his family and friends there wasn't anyone who knew how it felt to lose her light in his life. But you, you knew that feeling, you had felt it yourself, you knew and you understood and you wouldn't judge him for still missing her, for still waking up in tears.

He would never be alone again, and that...that hit him in this moment, and he cried even harder, pouring it out and shaking as he sobbed, and each tear brought another wave of understanding and softness and it was almost too much. He hoped you could feel him reaching out to you, too, wishing to swipe your tears away. Loneliness wasn't new to either of you, it ached deeply in both of your souls, and you both had gotten so used to it over the years that he didn't know what to do with the knowledge that it was abruptly ended.

He picked up his phone, searching his contacts. He'd hadn't used your number yet, but he found it now. He needed to tell you.

( **xxx** ): sorry if my nightmare woke you. but thank you, for not leaving me alone. i promise i won't leave you alone, either.

He held his phone close as a proxy to holding you, closing his weary sockets as he laid back down. He listened to the hum of your soul, took comfort in the buzz of the bond.

And when another wave of gentle understanding washed over him, he was asleep once more.

* * *

When he woke next, it was proper time for waking. He groggily opened his sockets, squinting around the room, not recognizing it for a moment…

...oh yeah, they're on the surface now. This is his room now. He glanced at the clock: 10am.

Well, sleeping a bit more sounds nice and all, but he supposed he'd better go get some coffee, get used to being a functioning member of society. Coffemaker's broken, though, after Sans' attempt to upgrade it, so he'd have to start his search for a good coffee shop. He dragged himself upright, opening the drawer of his bedside table to grab some human money--honestly, the dollars and coins were too exhausting to work out in his mind right now so he just grabbed a twenty--that was enough for most things, right? He promised himself he would practice with the money system later.

He yawned, tugging on a sweatshirt and shorts, stumbling half-awake out of his room with his phone in hand, mumbling good morning and a short explanation of his destination to his brother and father as he left the house.

The part of the city monster housing ended up in wasn't exactly the sunny side of the hill, but nearly nobody bothered you when you were a seven foot tall skeleton monster, so he didn't particularly care. The only thing that sucks is that, and he had researched this thoroughly, there weren't any good coffee places on his block.

Fortunately for him, his feet seemed to know where to go, so he followed their lead, mind wandering. Eventually his orange sneakers led him through the doors of a coffee place, and the smell of sweet, sweet coffee filled the air. He joined the line, head still clearing from sleep and blissfully unaware of all the funny looks he was getting as he scanned the menu.

"salted sweet cream foam cold brew," he supplied when he got to the register. "add some honey in the bottom."

"Sweeth tooth cold brew for Papyrus," the barista replied, and he looked up, the morning fuzziness clearing from his mind and finally recognizing your friend Kyle, who was very busy writing "PAPYRUS" on a cup.

"i'm sorry, i didn't recognize you," he explained sheepishly, holding out his twenty. "um. i'm also sorry for the large bill. haven't quite got the hang of your money yet."

"No worries," Kyle shrugged. "Mornin', Hazel."

A second shock, making Papyrus turn around swiftly to see you were indeed standing behind him in line. 

"Hi, Kyle," you sang, flashing Papyrus a sunny smile. "The usual, please."

"Tooth decay in a cup," Kyle chuckled. "Your dentist should thank me for all the business."

You stepped aside to stand with Papyrus, waiting for your coffees. "Mornin', stranger."

"mornin'," he chuckled, shaking his head. "how do we always do this?"

"Maybe you somehow knew this was my favorite coffee shop? Kind of like I knew you were having a bad dream last night?" You offered. "Guess we're gonna have to get used to just knowing stuff."

"yeah, that reminds me, a _little_ more warning next time you're gonna get frisky with your boyfriend," he joked, laughing when you looked up at him with wide eyes, flushing a deep red. He pushed you gently with his elbow. "neither of us can control what comes through the bond, no sense in getting embarrassed about it. if it helps, it's just a vague sensation of being horny, not like, full feeling."

"Oh, God, no, that doesn't really help," you laughed, covering your face. "Geez, I am so sorry."

"s'fine. what was it you said? c'est la vie?" He collected both of your coffees when Kyle slid them across the counter, holding yours out, and you took it gratefully, naturally moving to sit with him at a nearby table.

"So, this bond thing," you said slowly as you sat. "Seems a bit more invasive than promised, I think."

"i really am sorry," he mumbled, casting his gaze to his drink.

"No, no, you know what? It's fine." You waved as if it didn't matter. "It's fine, I'm just not used to it yet. I'm assuming I'm not alone in that."

"yeah, no, it's been pretty weird on my end, too," he chuckled. "but...it was nice to not be all alone last night. so it has its ups."

"You wanna talk about it?" You asked quietly, and he smiled down at his cup. That same gentle feeling, that kindness...it warmed over him. You genuinely wanted to hear what he had to say and it was...refreshing.

"just remembering when she got sick. when she died. i knew she wouldn't dust, not like monsters, but...it still haunts me." He rubbed his eyes with a sigh, taking a long drink of his cold brew. The sweet cream and caffeine brought some life to him. "you get it, right? no matter how many times people tell you to move on, you just can't?"

"I broke a kid's hand in senior year because he made fun of me for suggesting we have a seat for Eliza at graduation. I get it." You laid your hand on his and he knew you truly understood. Whether it was the bond or your own experience, you really, truly understood him. "My therapist told me once that it was okay to never truly stop missing someone. The important part is to stop grieving, forgive yourself for still hurting and not allow it to stop you from appreciating life."

"maybe i should get your shrink's number," he chuckled.

"I can ask if she takes monster clients! She's really cool so I bet she will. I think the only block would be like...insurance."

"human money handling perplexes me," he admitted. "we don't ask for anything in the monster community when it comes to healthcare or something. doctor's pay is covered by the crown for everyone."

"Well then maybe you should find a monster shrink and give _me_ the number," you teased. "But next time, if you want to call and talk it over...I mean, I'm supposing I'll be awake. And don't apologize again, really, it's fine. If I have a nightmare it'll probably wake you, too."

"you really are so kind," he whispered, squeezing your hand. "how do you muster up a smile like that when everything up here sucks? rent is higher than most mortgages, people yell at you for stupid shit, healthcare costs an arm and a leg. and you still can somehow just...smile."

"If I don't smile, the only other option is anxiety," you chuckled. "I've honestly had enough stress in my life, I'd rather be happy."

"wish it was that easy."

"It can be," you pressed, bringing your other hand across the the table until both were holding his one hand. "There's a version of you in there somewhere that I somehow already know and remember. He was happy, and funny, and playful. Maybe it's time he got to come out and play again?"

A chime cut the tension and you let him go in favor of checking your phone. He withdrew his hand, slowly, feeling the tingle of kindness so clearly on his bones.

What is wrong with him? Is it just because you look like her? Is it the bond? Is it the sorely needed understanding? Whatever it is, it makes him miss your touch instantly, and he flexes his fingers, trying to brush away the thought that he wanted to hold your hand more.

"Well, it's Friday and my boyfriend is about to hit his morning break," you said, returning your phone to your pocket. "I always bring him a coffee on Fridays or I'd stay longer. But if you're gonna make a habit of this place, I'll see you again tomorrow?"

"if the trend keeps up, you'll see me anyway," he chuckled, standing as you stood.

He was going for a wave, but you surprised him with a hug. He hugged you right back, maybe a little too desperately, but oh, it felt so nice. He needed this, and was it selfish of him to need it so badly when you had a boyfriend out there? A dilemma for another time, he supposed.

It was over too soon, again. He doesn't know what his wish for hug length is but it hadn't yet been met. You turned and ordered your extra coffee, and Kyle had it ready quickly. With a wave to both of them you were off, and he sat back down with a sigh.

"You know, if you have a crush on her, it's probably better to forget about it."

He looked up to see Kyle stepping out from behind the counter, clearly on his break, apron slung over his arm.

"i'm sorry?"

"Hazel's been on the hook with this Camden guy since we graduated. She keeps thinking he'll pull his head out of his ass and give her a ring soon," Kyle explained, sitting down. "No matter how much we wish it weren't so, it seems that's where it's headed."

"you don't like her boyfriend?" Papyrus asked, sipping his coffee.

"Nope," Kyle said, emphasizing the 'p'. "Don't get me wrong, he's a decent guy and they seem happy on the surface. Not to mention he's loaded, he'd be able to take care of her."

"but still you don't like him?" He hummed as Kyle shrugged. "why?"

"He's just a bit of a knob, really," Kyle said with a shrug. "She's always complaining that he doesn't listen to her, that he stands her up or doesn't keep his word. He's got his nose so far up his dad's ass I'm not sure if I should call the cops or not. She's way too nice to him, always brushing it off like it doesn't really matter, but that kinda stuff piles up, you know? And it's not really normal for someone to barely know their best friend's boyfriend of three years, but we've met the guy maybe a handful of times and he acts like hanging out with us is slumming it."

Papyrus just listened curiously as Kyle launched into what was clearly three year's worth of distaste for Camden, from his snobbish attitude to the way you always go out of your way for him. It sounds like they begrudgingly accept that you are happy with him--it seems that despite being a bit of a jerk, he's at least not abusing you.

Still, he doesn't sound like a treat from Kyle's perspective, and his only experience with him himself was that he'd stood you up for lunch yesterday.

"Just wish I could convince her she deserves better," he sighed finally. "She's literally the nicest person I've ever met, and yet she put all her chips in on a rich asshole who thinks buying her something nice is a substitute for actually caring. I don't think he cares about anything but money and climbing the ranks in his dad's company."

"so what makes you think he'll actually marry her, then?" Papyrus asked. "it wouldn't be very fun for her, but wouldn't it be more likely that he'll dump her when he needs to get serious? it isn't like marrying her can bring him any status or anything. Her family isn't rich and powerful, and she works at a department store."

Kyle chuckled. "See, other than being a monster, that is exactly why it's obvious you just got here. When Eliza went missing, it made national news. It was a famous cold case, and Hazel, the twin left behind, who feels twice the emotions, etcetera etcetera. People wrote articles, I think a book, there was a movie talked about but her dad turned it down. Hazel was invited to talk shows, though I think she only did one or two before her parents decided it was too much of a strain on her. In any case, she's pretty famous if you know who she is. Especially since now we know what happened to Eliza, there's probably going to be a lot of press barelling in here in a week or two, some television shows looking to put the story on. And he gets to play the doting boyfriend, you know? That's enough fame to get him somewhere."

"i didn't realize," he said softly.

"You should probably be careful, too. The press hears you were Eliza's husband, they're gonna be up your ass for details." Kyle sighed as he stood, stretching and cracking his back. "Anyway, thanks for the chat, watch yourself out there. And like I said, if you've got a crush, you're probably better off not acting on it."

"don't have a crush, didn't plan on doing anything," he called after him, most likely uselessly.

It worried him, that the man you supposedly love might be using you for status, and that the press might start bugging you all over again when all you probably want to be left alone. He's not sure what he would do if someone approached _him_ with invasive questions about his late wife, he can't imagine how it would make _you_ feel.

His bond told him it was certainly his business, and that he needed to run after you and do something about it all, maybe whisk you away.

But it wasn't his place, so he didn't do that. Just finished his coffee in contemplative silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for all the interest! I promise Papyrus will start acting more like the US!Pap you know and love soon.


	6. The Walking Thing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Papyrus' feet tend to lead him places, and lately they've been your places. Tonight, though, they've picked an interesting place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm only foggily aware of where I want this story to go, so hold tight you guys! This came to me in a moment of inspiration, I had sat down to write something completely different and somehow this was there.  
> Also, I tag in-chapter for everything I think might trigger, but I am overly cautious so whatever I tag might not even be a big deal. Feel free to always message me on tumblr or comment asking me to explain if you aren't sure about a tag.
> 
> Warnings for this chapter: exotic dancing, unwelcome touch/gross drunk old men but nothing too extreme

There are a few things about being bonded that Papyrus simply didn't understand.

The shared feelings, the shared cravings, the innate knowledge of certain aspects of your life...he sort of understood those, after all he had a literal piece of your soul so of course there would be some overlap.

It was the walking thing he didn't get. He calls it the walking thing because he doesn't know what else to call it, but basically his feet go wherever they go and it happens to be a place you frequent. It happened with the grocery store, it happened with your work, and it had happened with the coffee shop, the park the next day, and right now…

...right now it must be confused.

"Five dollars."

"...excuse me?"

The bouncer raised a brow at him but remained an otherwise immovable object. "Five dollars cover charge, pal."

Papyrus glanced up at the neon signs again, declaring it a "Gentleman's Club", whatever that meant. The official name was in bigger neon letters: The Nightingale. It still did nothing to clear up what it was supposed to be--the street was dark, there were no windows in, he could hear music but he didn't see anyone else lining up to get in.

As he dug through his pockets, curiosity getting the better of him, he inwardly sighed. He'd only been out for a walk, trying to clear his head, it was all a little jumbled in there right now after spending the whole day doing fucking paperwork with his dad and brother.

"is...is this enough?" He asked, holding up a few crumpled bills. "i'm sorry, i'm...bad at human money."

The bouncer made a gruff sigh, taking the wad of cash and going through it. He pocketed some and returned the rest, along with some $1 bills from his own pocket.

"Took the liberty of makin' change fer ya," he rumbled. "Not that I think any o'the girls'd mind a twenty thrown at 'em, but you probably don't wanna do that."

"oh. thanks. why am i throwing...you know what, nevermind, i'll figure that out." He pocketed the cash and allowed the man to stamp his hand. It took a moment to figure out where the stamp could go, but it finally pressed to the inside of his ulna, leaving a little picture of a bird behind.

"Don't touch," the man warned, and even though he had no idea what that meant, he nodded. It was obvious this was his first time, and the bouncer was trying to be helpful. That was nice, at least.

Inside it was dark, with a little lighted pathway leading to another bouncer. This one checked his ID, for proof he was an adult, and good thing he'd received his ID today at the end of all that mind-numbing paperwork. 

That bouncer let him through the curtain into a dingy bar area, low lights backlighting the drink selection and a buxom woman sliding a glass over to the gentleman in front of her. To his left he saw a series of small nooks with curtains, some drawn back to show the sitting area and some closed to respect the privacy of whoever was in there. Music pulsed through the whole area, and it wasn't until he searched for the source that he saw the stage and understood where he was.

The stage was large, and there were several smaller stages scattered around the floor as well. Each one had a pole, and each pole had a girl on it. In the seats around the stage were mostly human men, of varying ages, although there was the occasional woman amongst them. The people not on the stages were throwing their money at the girls on the poles, and he understood what the bouncer had said before.

A strip club. That's what a Gentleman's Club was, he probably should have guessed. And he wished he could say it was just a weird fluke, but when his feet go that means it's a place you go to a lot, or that you're there or about to be there.

And sure enough you were, and oh, he doesn't mind the view, not one bit. A dress that barely went past your curves, with a neckline that plunged to your navel, and a few sparkly straps of jewels holding it together in the back. You even had heels on, stilettos black as night and taller than he expected you to be able to keep upright in. 

Definitely not the modest wear he was used to seeing you in, and his magic stirred at the sight involuntarily, hungry and wanting and aching, and could he blame himself? You are every bit as gorgeous as his wife was at your age, of course you were, but there's something incredibly strange about watching someone who looks exactly like his wife dance for men with sweaty dollars in their hands.

He didn't have time to react when you looked up at him--if he'd been thinking clearly, he might have ducked behind something, or hid in his hoodie, but his magic was currently playing elsewhere so he was just staring blatantly at you in your short dress, completely frozen like a deer in the headlights. You seemed similarly shocked, pausing in your routine to stare back at him, and he felt a swirl of emotions that weren't his--confusion, shame, shock, all the expected emotions and he really, really hoped you weren't feeling his because it was just a big neon sign in his crotch.

It happened in slow motion. He caught the movement only a moment too late, one of the guys by your stage. His face was flushed, his movements sluggish, but quick enough to grab your ankle, tugging on you.

"Whatsa big idea? Ain't nobody'sh toldja t'stop, cutie."

You yelped as he pulled you off-balance, falling flat on your ass as anyone would be expected to when yanked off balance wearing stilettos.

Certainly, there were bouncers for this sort of thing.

Papyrus didn't think of that.

In a flash he was there, pulling the guy back until he released your leg, pinning him to the table in the middle of his friends, who were all very quickly backing away from the altercation. 

_ "get your filthy hands off my wife." _ He barely heard himself spit the words, but there it was, the line in the sand had been crossed, leapt over, really, and he vaguely chalked it up to how hard it was to see the color of your eyes in this darkness.

Rough hands pulled him from the guy, and he allowed himself to be dragged back, eyelights trained him as two more bouncers dragged the guy out and threw him out onto the street. Don't touch, indeed.

For a moment, he worried the muscles on either side of him were going to put him in the same place, on the street.

"Let him go, he's with me."

The gentlemen holding Papyrus released him, and he turned to see you, stepping off the stage and accepting a silky robe offered by another concerned dancer. His hands twitched at his sides but he dared not stick them in his hoodie pocket, lest these burly men think he's a threat again.

An older gentleman appeared, dressed nicely with a pin of the nightclub's logo on his lapel, and he intercepted you before you could reach Papyrus. "Oh, Honey, are you alright? I am so sorry, love, we should have cut Monty off three drinks ago."

"No, it's fine, Jasper. I'm fine," you insisted, patting his chest gently with affection in your gaze. One glance at the man, Jasper, revealed kindness coming out his ears practically. If this is your boss, which he likely is, then Papyrus can relax a little. "You, on the other hand. What are you even doing here?"

Aimed at him. He shrugged, tapping his chest sheepishly. You seemed to get the message, sighing tiredly. "yeah. sorry."

"Let's go talk privately. Jasper?"

"Of course, take all the time you need. Angel can take your stage until you come back."

You nodded, and inclined your head to Papyrus to indicate he should follow. He did, feeling eyes on him and more than a little embarrassed. But not regretful. Not at all.

You took him to one of the side doors, leading him back into a dressing room. He felt kind of weird and invasive being back here, but the only girl back there was fully clothed, winter coat donned, counting cash at a cluttered vanity.

"Hey, Virtue," you said casually, and the girl nodded at you, only sparing Papyrus a half a glance before turning back to her tips. He followed you closely until he practically bumped into you, and you chuckled, taking his arms and pushing him slightly back. "Unless you wanna see me naked, I suggest you stay on that side of the screen."

His face flushed, and he turned his gaze to the floor as you closed said screen between you, and it wasn't long before your robe and skimpy dress were tossed over the top.

"i'm really sorry," he said softly, unsure what he was apologizing for. "i really don't know what happened or how i ended up here."

"Yeah, that's happening a lot, I'd say," you laughed, and he smiled in spite of it all. "It's okay. If I were underground I'd probably run into your major haunts, too. You just haven't spent as much time up here as I have."

You stepped back out, dressed now in a more appropriate tank top and jeans, shrugging on a cardigan.

"thought you were a retail worker, not a stripper." He blanched at his own wording. "sorry, sorry. that came out wrong."

"Exotic dancer," you corrected. "And I only do this when I need the extra cash. Sometimes it's to make rent when my hours are low, sometimes for books or tuition, aaand sometimes it's for a new tablet for my art that's upwards of a thousand dollars. Don't tell the guys, okay? They'd flip. Especially Cam."

"isn't he, like...loaded? can't you get him to buy you a new tablet?" He looked around the dressing room as you led him out again. "not that there's anything wrong with this i just--"

"I'd rather not ask too much of Camden," you said quickly. "And he isn't too fond of my art. He says it's a hobby, not a job."

"that's terrible," he said as you led him out a side door into the alley.

"He isn't wrong. It's not a job if it doesn't make you money. And I don't really make any money with it yet." You looked at him expectantly. "...gonna share me a smoke or do we have to walk to the corner store?"

"oh, uh, yeah." He dug out his cigarettes and watched you deliberate a moment, picking a strawberry one. He selected mint, as always. He lit yours, then his, and you sighed out the first lungful of pink smoke as if you'd laid down after a long day.

"So. 'get your filthy hands off my wife', huh?" You asked, arching an eyebrow at him.

He groaned, pulling his hood up farther to hide his shame. "i'm sorry. i know."

"No, in this instance, it's fine." You took another drag, looking up at the pale streetlight at the end of the alley. "Make Monty think twice about groping me again if he thinks I'm married to a seven foot tall skeleton monster."

Technically by monster standards you are. But he doesn't say that. Things are complicated enough.

"you get groped a lot, here?" He asked, free hand tapping against his jeans.

You shook your head. "Don't touch the dancers. Strictly enforced, as you saw."

"good." So you were taken care of here, that's good at least. "the bouncer at the front said that. don't touch."

"You must have exuded an air of naivete. Jason always picks up on newbies."

You had so much glitter on your face that you sparkled in the low light of the alley, and he resisted the urge to kiss you again. Maybe it's because you're smoking together, like that first time.

The memory of that dress didn't hurt.

"do you gotta head back in?" He asked as you stubbed the cigarette out in a nearby ashtray. This alley must be used for smoking by all the girls.

"I should. But, if you had a plan, I can call it a night. Jasper won't mind after that."

"i mean, i don't think i've had a plan in 20 or so years," he joked. "but, sometimes the best plan is no plan."

Your face softened, and you smiled at him. "Ellie used to say that."

"is that where i got it from?" He scratched his skull, smiling softly. "we never could figure out who got it from who. guess we know now."

"Well, I'm down for a no-plan plan. Let me go wipe this unicorn jizz off my face and cash out my tips, then we can head out, okay?"

He chuckled. "unicorn jizz. maybe if i start calling glitter that my brother will stop putting it in food."

Your laughter followed you back inside.

* * *

"you  _ made _ these? with your computer?"

You shrugged as Papyrus swiped through your phone, looking at your art pieces. Everything from full paintings to silly sketches was on there. "Yeah, some people think digital art is like cheating, but--"

"are you kidding? i can't even draw on regular paper. how do you get the strokes to look so much like actual brush strokes?"

"You can download brush types or make your own," you said sipping your milkshake and watching him swipe through. "There are artists that I follow that make some really amazing things."

" _ you  _ make amazing things," he said, pausing on a picture of a fairy sitting on a mushroom. "these are crazy impressive."

You couldn't help but smile, flushing a bit. "...Thank you."

He paused, looking up at you with a gentle smile. "you're welcome. i get the feeling you don't hear it enough."

"Not so much, no," you laughed. "I kinda keep it to myself, mostly. I have a Twitter, and sometimes I show Cam."

"but he doesn't tell you how good it is?" He asked. When you shook your head, he hummed thoughtfully. "your friends don't like him much, i hear."

You sighed. Yeah, you expected this conversation sooner or later. "Yeah, I've done practically everything I can to make them all get along but nothing seems to work. Two different worlds, I guess, and without the buffer of being an attractive female they never really landed on his radar." 

"maybe i don't know enough, and maybe it isn't my place to say, but from my perspective he's stood you up and discouraged your passions." He stirred his milkshake, glancing down at it. "i mean...from fresh eyes that's a pretty bad first impression."

"Give him three strikes, at least," you joked, playing with your straw.

Camden isn't perfect. You know that. He's a little self-centered, he has that "rich kid" outlook on everything and doesn't really understand your struggles. But he's sweet, he takes you on nice dates and even if he's not a great listener he's always ready to make up for something he missed. Your eyes flick down to the bracelet on your wrist, boasting several charms that feature your favorite colors, favorite stones, favorite Disney characters, all charms he had picked himself, remembering what you had said before.

He does listen, and he shows it. Just...not the way you do. He's a gift giver, that's his love language.

Papyrus chuckled, shaking his skull. "three strikes, okay. he gets one more chance before i join your friends on the anti-cam side."

"And what do you plan on doing on the anti-Cam side?" You snorted. "Plan a cous on my wedding day? Object when the pastor asks?"

"if all of us are against it, i think the hope is you wouldn't get to the wedding day." When you didn't respond, he sighed. "y'shouldn't marry someone nobody else you love even likes. maybe it's easy for me t'say, everyone loved eliza, m'sure you can imagine, but bein' married 35 years taught me there's more to marriage than the love between the two of you. 'cause i love her, i do, an'she loved me, but there were days we fought, days we said things we didn't mean. but those days, i'd go vent to my family, an' they'd tell me all the good things about 'er that made me happy. imagine needin' that, but nobody has anythin' good to say, huh?"

You rolled your eyes but didn't interrupt. You hate to admit, he had a point. Maybe you need to be more insistent on Cam spending time with everyone. Tell him that he needs to get on board with everyone, not just you.

"i've only met your friends a handful o'times but anyone with vision can see they care about you a lot. y'can count on me'n my family to be on your side, too," he said. "an' if bein' on your side means we ain't on his side, that's what it means."

"You're still on my side, even with me bein' a stripper?" You teased.

A roll of his eyelights, an amused smirk. "y'know, i hear you're supposed to call them exotic dancers."

"Oh, really? My mistake."

"do you have a fake name?" He asked, thoughtful. "i read somewhere, you're supposed to use a fake name. the name of your first pet and the street you lived on."

"That's your porn star name!" You laughed, pushing him. "And mine wouldn't be all that appealing. Porky Martin Luther King Jr."

He made a face, and you laughed harder into your milkshake. "i didn't have a street, or a pet that wasn't a rock. but mine would be rocky snowdin."

"That's way better than mine." You pulled some bills from your pocket, counting. You'd made out pretty good tonight, even cutting it short. Apparently Jason had strongly suggested that Monty "tip the nice lady extra" for the trouble and you'd ended up with about $200 to play with. "But uh, yeah, I do go by a different name at the club, if you ever need to ask after me. It's Honey."

He let out a genuine laugh, devolving into a giggle fit, and you raised a brow at him.

"Oh? Is that funny, Papyrus?"

"yes," he laughed. "it's funny because honey is my favorite snack, i literally drink it straight from the bottle. i used to call your sister honey."

"Well, now it's my stripper name." You shook your head, smirking as you tossed the dollars on the counter. "Thanks, Sam."

"No problem, love, you get home safe," the man behind the counter said, collecting the cash.

"walk you home?" Papyrus offered.

You smiled softly at him. This whole bond thing had you feeling some kind of way, because you wanted to invite him to stay the night when you got there. But that urge would probably fade with time, when the loneliness you shared became a distant memory. It's nice, knowing he'll always be there for you.

"Yeah. That'd be awesome."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Hazel is a touch more adventurous in Swap than in Fell or Swapfell! I'm running with it, my concept of her is "confidence in spades and accepting of her circumstances to a fault"

**Author's Note:**

> [My Fanfiction Tumblr](msmkcreates.tumblr.com)   
>  [My original fiction/Monster Love tumblr](graciedoesart.tumblr.com)


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